Two Indians, abducted in June from the Benue state of Nigeria, were released on Saturday morning, the ministry of external affairs said on Saturday.
Two Indians, abducted in June from the Benue state of Nigeria, were released on Saturday morning, the ministry of external affairs said on Saturday.
“Mangapudi Srinivas and Kaushal Anish Sharma, who were kidnapped on the morning of June 29 ‘from an area called Boko, near Makurdi in Benue state of Nigeria’, were released on Saturday at 10.30 am IST. Both have spoken to their families.
Mr Sharma’s wife profusely thanked the external affairs minister (Sushma Swaraj) for ensuring the safe release. She also thanked the ministry and the (Indian) mission for keeping the family informed of developments almost on daily basis,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
The two Indians, Mr Srinivas (from Andhra Pradesh) and his colleague Mr Sharma (from Karnataka, were travelling to Dangote Cement Plc Plant in a car from their residential quarters when a group of armed men abducted them at a traffic signal.
On July 1, the MEA had ruled out involvement of terror group Boko Haram in the abduction of the two Indians from Boko in north-central Nigeria, and had said it appeared that “local criminals” were involved.
The MEA had earlier described the abduction as “nothing surprising or new in that area”, saying such incidents keep happening there. Mr Swarup had asserted then that there has been no ransom demand.
